


No Rest for the Weary

by You Me and Teddy Bears (Eleadoe)



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28025493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleadoe/pseuds/You%20Me%20and%20Teddy%20Bears
Summary: Even award-winning, world-renowned, distinguished authors can get sick. [Story #5 of 7 for SiHJR Week 2020!]
Relationships: Takahashi Misaki/Usami Akihiko
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	No Rest for the Weary

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Junjou Romantica or Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi. This is a free, transformative work.

Welcome back! It's the moment you've all been waiting for! You saw the prompt "Favorite Couple" and had to have known, right? 

One thing I have never gotten over is the three-year time skip for Romantica. What happened in between? I like to imagine scenarios that could have taken place, including this story! 

Honestly, I'm obsessed with Romantica's timeline in general. 

(And I might be painstakingly documenting it... It's just so fascinating!)

SiHJR Week 2020: Day Five

Theme: **Favorite Couple**

Title: No Rest for the Weary

Pairing Choice: Romantica

Unsolicited Song Rec: Fever- Dua Lipa & Angèle

\---

"All finished!" Misaki proclaimed gleefully as he placed the last breakfast dish on the table. He sat down in his usual chair and glanced at the clock. Usagi-san would be down to join him any minute. Since the twenty-year-old had moved in two years ago, it had become an expectation that he and the author would share their first and last meals of the day.

It was unusual for the older man to not be downstairs yet, but Misaki brushed it off. Perhaps he had gotten caught up with work and needed a few more minutes.

The grand penthouse was eerily quiet this morning. Misaki thought about the classes he had that day while he waited for Usagi. Soon five minutes turned to ten minutes. Ten minutes became fifteen. The food was getting cold. The more time passed, a sense of uneasiness started to build. 

Usagi-san would have let him know if something had come up. Misaki looked down at his phone. He would have to leave for class soon. The college student didn't like the idea of disrupting their routine. He left the table and headed for the stairs.

It was likely Usagi-san had just collapsed in a peculiar place. Just last week, Misaki had heard a horrible thump from above as he was cooking dinner downstairs. He had cautiously crept up the stairs, a rolling pin weapon in hand, to investigate. Behind the door of the teddy bear room, he saw what appeared to be around forty teddy bears from a bear avalanche piled high. Usagi-san was snoring away beneath them all.

Misaki called out for the author, but there was no response. The office was empty. He gently opened the door to Usagi's bedroom. The lights were still off and Misaki could see a lump under the covers next to a big, familiar teddy bear.

"Oi, Usagi-san!" Misaki called out. There was no movement. Fear gripped the young man. Surely this couldn't be the moment where he finally found his lover dead, right? He carefully maneuvered around the many toys surrounding the bed. He could make out Usagi's features peeking out under the blanket in the dim light. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing. The wave of relief that washed over Misaki at that realization was enormous. 

Still, something didn't seem right. Misaki shifted closer to get a better look. He always looked so peaceful in his sleep. The sight of softened features and pale-colored eyelashes made Misaki's heart do a small somersault. The dark-haired man also noticed glistening on Usagi's brow. He gingerly placed the back of his hand against the sleeping man's forehead.

 _'Holy shit, he's burning up!'_ Misaki thought. 

Suddenly he felt the grip of a large, cold hand on his arm. Violet eyes opened and found his green ones.

"Misaki," a deep, raspy voice bellowed.

Before he could back away, Misaki was tugged into the massive bed and beneath the comforter. He could feel the scorching heat of the sick man against him. Usagi's hands felt like ice as they pressed their way beneath the layer of Misaki's jeans. 

Why was he surprised by this behavior?

"Stop! Quit grabbing me there!" The younger man tried to break free from the hold on him, "Usagi-san! You need to rest, you're sick!" 

"Yes," Usagi's voice croaked out, "And the only cure is Misaki." His tongue etched a path into the sensitive curve of Misaki's neck. 

The college student managed to extricate himself from the groping hands. He grabbed Suzuki-san, Usagi's teddy bear, and wedged it between them. 

The struggle seemed to zap Usagi-san of what little energy he had. Misaki adopted a stern look. This fever was serious and had to be taken care of immediately. "Usagi-san, this is not the time for fooling around! I am going to go get you some medicine."

With those words, Usagi collapsed back into the bed, wrapping his arms around Suzuki-san. Misaki went as fast as he could, careful not to stub his toe on the train set or the plastic robot, and headed towards the bathroom containing the medicine cabinet.

There was no way he could leave Usagi-san alone. He'd have to miss his classes today. It dawned on Misaki that he had never seen the older man sick before. It was surprising since he took horrible care of himself. How that man had stayed alive for the last thirty-one years was a complete mystery. Misaki knew Usagi had lived alone before him, but he couldn't even imagine it. The only basic skills the author had were writing novels and making coffee. 

Misaki couldn't help his satisfied grin at the sight of the fully stocked medicine cabinet. Shortly after moving in, he had discovered that Usagi-san hardly kept any medicine or first aid supplies whatsoever. Misaki had taken it upon himself to purchase everything they could need. He pulled out the thermometer, a pack of cooling patches, and some throat-soothing tablets.

He went back into the bedroom and turned on the bedside lamp, "Usagi-san, sit up. Let's take your temperature."

The ill man obliged. Silver fringe clung to his forehead, and he opened his mouth to let Misaki put the thermometer inside. After a moment, it began to beep. "38.8. Not great, but it could be worse," Misaki mused. He helped Usagi remove his drenched bedclothes, trying to avert his eyes from his. 

Usagi-san chuckled, "This is nice. You're always so shy about undressing me." "Shut up, you perverted old man!" Misaki fumed, "This isn't like that." 

After applying the cooling patches and giving Usagi-san a glass of water and medicine, Misaki thought they should eat. He remembered the breakfast sitting out on the table and groaned. Hopefully, it was still alright to eat. "I'm going to go get some food. Do you want me to bring anything?"

Usagi shook his head and laid back down. He was about to drift back to sleep when he noticed Misaki was still there and staring at him.

Realizing he was caught, Misaki blushed, "I was thinking this is the first time I've ever seen you sick."

"Ah. Yeah, I have a good immune system."

"That's a relief. Oh! I mean, if you got sick all the time, it'd be a huge hassle for me. I already take care of you way more than what's normal."

Usagi smiled.

"I'll be back up soon," Misaki stammered. Once downstairs, he put away most of the food and made a small plate for himself. The quiet of the space as he ate put him in a reflective state. He wasn't sure when all of the things that others thought were strange had become his new normal. 

He sometimes tried to imagine his life differently. One where he didn't have to cook and clean every day. A life where he was a normal college student who didn't monitor the well-being of a grown man who lacked all basic life skills and common sense. An existence where he was no longer responsible for the care of marimo, teddy bears, and giant models of the Great Wall of China.

As much as all of that sounded appealing, Misaki couldn't help but notice a painful feeling in his chest at the thought of truly living that way.

Heading back to Usagi's bedroom, Misaki looked out over the landing to view the penthouse from above. He never really took the time to observe it. When anyone else looked at all of the things here, they would see an upscale living space with designer furniture. 

Misaki used to see it that way too, but now it had changed. When he looked at the dining table, he saw the times he and Usagi-san would eat together. He thought of how the author would annoy him as he tried to finish cooking dinner as he stared at the kitchen. When he looked at the couches, he thought of watching Usagi as he read or napped. A deep crimson spread across his cheeks as some more of the naughtier memories came to mind.

Through the doorway, he could see Usagi resting. He would never admit it aloud, but he was glad that he was here to take care of the person he loved.

"Misaki," Usagi-san's voice called out softly, "Will you lay down next to me?"

"Only if you promise not to do anything weird."

Usagi laughed lightly, "I promise."

The younger man laid down on the opposite side of the bed. Suzuki-san laid between the two of them. Misaki felt Usagi's hand reach out across the stuffed bear towards his own. He accepted it with a gentle squeeze. A warmth spread across him. He leaned in closer to the left towards Usagi. They had made a lot of memories so far in two years. He was sure they would make many, many more. 

\---

Each step Misaki took down the stairs was a struggle. His body was on fire, and every muscle was achy and heavy. The bright morning daylight was burning his tired, green eyes. 

Usagi-san sat on the couch beside Suzuki-san. He was reading a book and impeccably dressed in one of his well-tailored suits. 

He looked up at the bedraggled young man, "You look awful."

"And whose fault do you think that is!?" Misaki snapped.

Usagi-san took a sip of his coffee, "You're the one who seduced an ailing man."

The dark-haired man blushed profusely, "I did no such thing!"

"You started taking off your clothes."

"It was hot! I just wanted to be comfortable!" 

The older man smirked and gave his lover a piercing look, "I'll take responsibility."

Misaki's whole body was scorching red, "I refuse!"

In the blink of an eye, Usagi-san was suddenly tossing Misaki over his shoulder. He began carrying the shorter man up the stairs. "Sick people need to sleep," he said.

"Put me down! Usagi, you idiot! USAGI!"

Takahashi Misaki feared he was destined to be caught up in this fever forever. It was the spring of his twentieth year.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr.](https://youmeandteddybears.tumblr.com/)
> 
> This is an open invitation for anyone who reads anything I write to track me down on the internet and gush about Romantica with me. It doesn't matter if you read this in a month, a year, or a decade from now. My love for these two is as infinite as it is excessive.
> 
> More Misaki x Akihiko tomorrow, featuring our best girl, Aikawa Eri!


End file.
